Huntress

Summer Heart a young huntress, finds herself trapped in a world that she thought was reality. But when she meets others like her, others who were her. Others who wanted to be her, her life changes forever, she must choose between family and fate or suffer the wrath of the Queen.

3. Darkness

There it stood. Proudly, it soaked in all its glory as we walked up to it. Me and Lilly. Lilly and me. I looked at my sister and she looked at me. We both nodded and ran to the mountain. We reached the top and it was the cries of our mother that pierced me mostly.

"Come down from there!" It wasn't anger in her voice, but fear and panic. But Lilly ignored her and walked closer to the edge. "Lilly one more step and I will kill you when you come down!" Her voice was more shaky this time but it was not her voice that scared us.

"What are you doing here? On my mountain?" The voice was as cold as winter, and the sharp ice from her tone froze me there.

"Please!" I begged. "Don't do anything we're sorry! We'll leave now!" I pleaded but she laughed as if she was amused. For the first time Lilly spoke to the stranger, she sounded as cold as the stranger herself.

"Well then Lilly Mills, know this, and you child" She looked at me, "Can be taught a lesson. Never be rude to the Queen it doesn't pay you any favors!" And then as if she didn't care for the happiness of others she picked Lilly up by the throat and pulled out her heart. She then released Lilly and she crumbled onto the floor.

"You monster!" Was all I could say. Ignoring the lady I pushed foreword and went to the aid of Lilly. But there was nothing that could be done. The queen laughed.

"Your sister will do nice in my collection." She walked away, but I ran after her and threw myself at her. Lilly's heart fell and shattered into a million pieces. Darkness was all I could see. The Queen did this........... The Queen killed my sister.........

********************

They all stared at me. Mother cried harder than ever. Father for the first time was lost for words, and we all sat there in silence. Artemis got up and walked over to the window. "Pack" he said. We all turned to look at him. "The roads are quiet, there can be time for an escape if we leave by midnight."

"Artemis." I whispered. "We cant."

"Yes we can. If we go the right way then we can."

"No Artemis, if its true. If the Queen is looking for me, we cant escape." I sounded weak and for the first time I felt like the seven year old girl again who had lost her sister. Her friend.

"Artemis if we were to escape where would we go?" It was Luke who had broke the silence now.

"Anywhere Luke! Anywhere's better than here!" He sounded mesmerized by the idea of freedom.

"Alright, get anything you want to take with you and meet me here in an hour." I said. No one moved.

"But Summer you said......."

"I know what I said Luke, but there's no hope left. If we leave at midnight we might be able to leave.'" It took a while before anyone moved but after thinking, the had all done it.

When I got to my room, I looked at everything. What did I want to take? I pulled out a fresh pair of clothes and boots, a leather book, a pen and some ink, a map, some parchment and a wooden box. I was the last to meet my family. Here I handed them my pack and my bow and arrow.

"Your not coming are you?" Sean asked. I shook my head and left the sounds of my sobbing family. I closed the door and started walking in the direction of the castle.